Notre Dame reopens with spectacular ceremony in Paris

Notre Dame Cathedral has reopened after reconstruction work following the devastating fire in 2019.

Heads of state from around the world attended the formal reopening of the French monument.

The Archbishop of Paris knocked three times on the grand wooden doors of the cathedral to mark the start of the ceremony.

There was a public show of gratitude for the hundreds of firefighters who managed to save the cathedral from being completely destroyed in the 2019 blaze.

The French president gave a speech, saying, "We have rediscovered what great nations can do: achieve the impossible."

"We decided to rebuild Notre-Dame de Paris even more beautiful in five years. And to make this possible, an unprecedented fraternity: a fraternity of those who have given on all continents, of all religions, of all fortunes. United by hope and gathered within these walls," said President Macron.

Dignitaries from across the globe attended the ceremony, including U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, on his first trip abroad since winning the presidential election last month.

Trump joined Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace for talks before the ceremony, and there was also time for a brief trilateral meeting between Macron, Trump, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, who also attended the cathedral’s reopening.

Rain impacted the Olympic opening ceremony in the summer, and bad weather also affected Notre Dame’s evening.

President Macron's speech was due to take place outside Notre Dame but was moved inside the cathedral due to strong wind and rain from Storm Darragh.

There was a light show projected on the front of the cathedral, an operatic rendition of the French national anthem, and a thunderous reawakening of the organ, with the bells of the cathedral pealing in the Paris night.

The evening finished with a concert in the cathedral, followed by a formal dinner at the Élysée Palace.

Notre Dame has now been formally reopened, and the public will be able to enter for the first time in five and a half years starting December 8.

Demand has been very high for the chance to go in, and with up to 40,000 people expected every day in the weeks ahead, places are limited.

For the past five and a half years, architects, engineers, carpenters, glaziers, archaeologists, stonemasons, and roofers have been among the skilled craftsmen and women restoring Notre Dame.

People from around the world joined teams of lumberjacks, builders, and crane operators in Paris to address the extensive damage the monument suffered in the blaze.

The fire in 2019 destroyed the roof and brought down the spire, which has been replaced with an identical replica of the original spire from 1859.

Restored artwork, cleaned walls, polished stained glass, and newly installed paintings and sculptures now adorn the cathedral.